The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced the Aquino regime for planning to allow the US Navy to deploy “peace corps-like volunteers” around the Tubbataha Reef supposedly to “guard” the area and ensure that no sea vessel will run aground again in the reefs.

“Such a plan smacks of hypocrisy! After the USS Guardian intruded into the Tubbataha wildlife protected area, caused substantial damage to the corals and exhibited bellicosity against Philippine park rangers, it would constitute extreme stupidity and servility for the Aquino regime to allow the US military to deploy its so-called volunteers in the park area and entrust them with the task of protecting the reefs,” said the CPP.

“In the first place, the US Navy should be held accountable and be punished for its complete disregard for Philippine sovereignty,” added the CPP. “The Filipino people should reject the US offer of compensation if this will serve only to evade the payment of fines concomitant to being held accountable for violations of existing Philippine laws.”

“More so, such US offer of compensation should be rejected if this will serve only to justify the deployment of more American naval forces, whether they be volunteers or not, in the Tubbataha area or elsewhere,” added the CPP.

The CPP pointed out that the US Peace Corps is a US government interventionist tool that uses various socio-economic projects as covers to carry out intelligence and social mapping.

The CPP also denounced the docking yesterday at Subic Bay of another US warship, the US naval guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale. The USS Stockdale arrived just a few days after a US nuclear attack submarine, the USS Cheyenne, docked at the same area.

In accordance with US plans to shift its foreign naval operations to the Asia-Pacific, more dockings by US warships and submarines in the Philippines are expected.

“Under the Visiting Forces Agreement, the US military is being allowed by the Philippine government to freely enter, patrol and dock in Philippine sea facilities and make effective use of the country as its military outpost and platform for its hegemonist operations in the Asia-Pacific.”